Feed hopper for coin-counting machines



Sept. 23, 1930. E. P. DONNELLAN 1,776,251

- FEED HOPPER FOR com couu'rme mcamzs Filed Oct. 11. 1926 2 Shoots-Shoat l BY xxx/j, J

W ATTORNEYS.

23, 1930. E. P. DONNELLAN 1,776,251

FEED HOPPER FOR COIN COUNTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 11, 1926 2 Shoots-Sheet 2 7 Y INVENTOR.

Z. 7 final-J ayfiwau) ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 23, 1930 UNITED [STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWARD: nonnnnran, OF-BROOKLYN,NEWJ YORK, AssIeuoRTo STANDARD-JQHN-' son COMPANY, 11m,- OFVBROOKLYN, NEW YORK, a CORPORATION on EW YORK,

lrnnn norrnn F03 co n-COUN ING MACHINES Application filed october 11; 1926. Serial No. 140,756.

This invention relates,- generally, to an improved construction offeed'hopper for use in connection with coin counting machines ofvarious kinds and types,ibut "which is "especially useful in connection with rotary disc types of counting machines such as described and illustrated in prior United States Letters Patent #1,160,830, dated Nov. 16th 1915,; and #1,389,63l, dated Sept. 6th, 1921.

The invention has forits principal object to providea novel construction of feed hopper. adapted to hold a supply of coins in bulk, said feed hopper having a novel means for manually controlling the deliveryof coins from such supply-into thecounting head'of the coin counting machine, allfin such mannor as to'assure asmoothjand continuous flowingmovement of coins through the counting head withoutoverloading the latter.

Other objects of this invention, not atthis time more particularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from the following detailed description of the same.; y The inventionzis clearly: illustrated in the accompanying I drawings, in which-:'f

construction of feed hopper, 's'howingthe operative relation of the same to .a coincounting machine, the latter being shown in dottedoutline; Fig.2 is a front elevationof the hopper; -Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal central section through the sameyFig; 4-is a top end view of the same; Fig. 5 is an en- 1 larged perspective of the hoppergate *slide- 5 way;'Fig. 6 is a perspectiveview of the hopper gate together with its manipulating means, and also-showing the hopper-delivery chute; and Fig. 7 v is" a transverse" section through the assembled gate -slideway and gate, taken on line.7r,7. in Fig. 2, but-drawn on an enlarged scale.

Similar characters. ofreference are employed in all of the hereinabove described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referringvnow tosaid-drawin'gs, the refer passage 2, so that the weight of the bulk of v counting mechanism. F 1g. 1 is a perspectlve VIEW, ofthe novel is'a guide plate 7 the lower end of which may LbGfplfQVlded with legs 8 terminating infootplate 7 is further provided with a longitudience character 1 indicates a feed hopper open atits upper end, and the sides of which are inwardlyconverging toward its lower end. The lower portion of said feed hopper is preferably formed to provide atortuous coins deposited in said hopper is more or less distributed and supported at several different points, so that the downward movement of the coins is slightly retarded, and the coins upon release bemg thus prevented from attaining a too precipitous movement at the point of discharge from the hopper. Communicating with-the tortuouslower end porition of said feed hopper is-adownwardly and forwardlyinclined discharge snout 3. Exteriorly disposed on exterior portions of the 'feed hopper are socket members 4 to receive the upper ends of supporting standards 5, which are suitablysecured to and extend upwardly from the frame' of the coin-counting mechanism; the arrangement being suchthat the feed hopper is supported above and to the rear ofthe coin receiver 6 of the coin Secured to the underside of said'hopper discharge snout 3, to extend downwardly "therefrom in a plane substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said snout,

pieces 8' to engage upon the frame of the coin counting mechanism to rigidly brace said guideplate against displacement from operative fassem'bled "relation. Said guide nally disposed guide -'slot"9. Longitudinally slidable on said guide plate 7 is a gate or cutor plate-10, having connected with its body guide=studs 11:to"ride' in said guide slot 9 of the guide-plate 7 saidguide-stu'ds 11 having at their rearward orfree ends enlarged keeper heads 12 for retaining the gate or out-- 01f plate andv its saidfiguide-studs in operative assembled-"relation. t Said 'guideplat 6 7. Said gate or cut-ofi plate 10 is provided at its lower end with a stop-stud 13 to abut the lower end of said guide-plate 7 to limit the upward movement of said gate or out-off plate 10, whereby its closed relation to said hopper discharge snout 3 is determined. Interconnected by suitable means intermediate said gate or cut-oil plate 10 and the hopper discharge snout 3 is a pull-spring 14 for yieldably holding said gate or cut-off plate 10 in normal closed-relation to said hopper discharge snout.

A means for manipulating said gate or,

cut-off plate 10, to open the same at desired times, comprisesa pull-rod -15 slidable in supports 16 secured to the underside of the bed-plate 17 of the coinreceiver 6., sothat its free-end projects outwardly'at the front side of the coin counting machine, -Sai.d -pull rod is provided at its outer free end with a knob or hand gripl18. Suitably secured intermediate the inner-end o'f said pull-rod 15 iand the gate orcut-ofi plate 10 is'a-flexible'connection 19; such for example, as the pull chain shown in the drawings; the movement of said pull chainflbeing guided by a roller 20 mountedbeneath the bed-plate 17 ,lso that the horizontal movement imparted thereto by the pull-rod 1-5 is translated into a desired substantially vertical movement operative upon'said gate or cut ofi plate 10.-

v In some v in-stances it may bezdesirable to provide the free end ofthe hopper discharge .snout3 with an adjustable chute'21 toextend fromsaid snout over the coin receiver I-he said chute 215$ provided'with sides 2-2 terminating at theirrearward ends in ears .23 adapted tostraddlethe snout 3,. and to -be respectively'pivoted to the respectivelsides of the latter so that the inclination of said chute from said snout 3 to coin receiver 6 may be variously adjusted as' rnay be desirable. Said -chute 21 is-so arrangedoand assembled with the snout 3 that said gate 'or cutofi plate 10 projects upwardly intermediatev the ears23 of the chute and between the rear end of; the floor thereof-and the outer endofisa-id snout 3 as shown-to best advantage in Fig. 3 of thedrawin'gs'.

:operation, the feed hopper is filled with coins C which are to be fed, for counting-to the coin counting machine thus providing a considerable bulk of coinsready for countingmanipulation. Theacoini counting mechan sm 'bei-ng .set'in operation and the "chute .21 adjusted between the'feedhopper and the 7 coin receiver 6 ofthe' mnchine,-the operator pulls outwardly on thepull rod15 thus exe rtingi a downward pull through the 'chain 19, on the gate 10,:Zwh1eby; the latter is retrac'ted from th'e'path of coins fledged in the snout 3, thus permittinga discharge of the coins from .saidsnout 3, through said chute 21 into. the coin receiver 6. A sufiicient quantity oi coins having been thusydeposited in "ter,'-or -with0ut loss of time;

"directed toward T-s'aid v g V tuouspassfage' intermediate the main body of *saidhopper and said discharge snout, a nor "mally closedfiel'dable gate-stemmin with said discharge; snout; manu ally controlled the coin receiver 6, the operator releases the knob 18 of the pull-rod 15 so that the spring 14 may return said gate 10, and the manipulating parts therefor, to normal upwardly projected position operating to cut off the outflow of coins from the feed hopper 1 through the snout 3. In this manner, the operator may easily control the feeding of coins from a considerable supply thereof to the coin receiver 6 of the counting mechanism without risk of over-crowding the lat- The' tortuous portion 2 of the feed hopper 1 is adapted to so distribute the weight of the bulk. of coins withi o 'thej'latter, -as to moreolr 'less retard the gravitation thereof, and thus prevent too pr cipitous discharge thereof, while at the same time reducing the pressure of coins upon'the-gate, 10,5:so; that the opening and closing movements thereof are not obstructed orunduly interfered with. i 7

"Having thus described my invention, I

1-. A ;jfeed hopper for coin countingmachines or'thelike,- adap ted to be supported abovethe coin-receiver thereof, a discharge shout at "the lower extremity of said' hopper directed toward said'coin receiver; a tortuous passage intermediate the main body ofjsaid hopper and saiddis'charge snout, 'ajnormally closed' -yieldable gate cooperating with said meansfo'r opening said gate.

2; A feed hopper for-fcoin counting machine'sor the 'like,l-adap'tedto be supported above the 'coinreceiver thereof, said hopper having ='adischarge snout directed toward said-' ':oin receiver, a guide plate" secured to discharge snout, "and manually controlled and dependent from said 'dischargesnout, a

spring-closed-gateslidably mounted on said guide plate and movable iipwa'rdly to normally cl'oses'aid discharge snoutg stop means formed on said andeng'ageablewithsaid guide plateto limit the cl'osing' movement or said gate, and manually controlled means for moving said gate downwardly thereby openingsaid gate; 7; r

35A feed hopper Icoin'c'b'u tihg' machines or the like adapted"to,:be supported above the coin rec'eiye'r thereof. discharge snout. atg-the lower eirtrem'tyrof said means for" opening said ijzateqcomprisingga means to guide, said flexible connection; 4:. A ,feed hopper for coinicountmg machinesfor the 7 like to be. supported above the coin i'eceive'r thereof, *said hopper having a discharge 1 shout directed toward n""receiver, a torsaid coin receiver, a guid'e-platesecured to and de endent from said discharge snout, said guide-plate having guide means thereon, a spring-closed gate slidably mounted on said guide plate movable upwardly in front of said snout While guided by said guide means to normally close said discharge snout, a pullrod slidably mounted in connection with the coin counting machine, a flexible connection between said pull rod and gate, and a roller' 7 for guiding and directing the movement of said connection. a

In testimony, that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of September, 1926.

EDWARD P. DONNELLAN. 

